Enabling & Support
19/12/2025
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In brief
- The P160C solid propellant rocket motor passed its ground qualification review
- The upgraded rocket motor will increase performance and competitiveness for the Ariane and Vega rockets
- Teams are working on the first four flight units and on industrial ramp-up production to 35 or more motors a year
In-depth
After firing up on ground at Europe’s Spaceport during a hot-fire test in April, the P160C solid propellant rocket motor has been thoroughly analysed, with a qualification review confirming its use for flight.
This review concludes over three years of intense development work involving engineers in continental Europe and French Guiana.
Europe’s largest solid-propellant rocket motors
The P160C is an upgrade of the P120C motor developed jointly by ArianeGroup and Avio through their 50/50 joint-venture Europropulsion, and it is one of the world’s largest carbon-fibre one-piece solid-propellant rocket motors. The development programme is managed and funded by the European Space Agency.
The P120C is currently used as a booster for the Ariane 6 rocket, and as the first stage for the Vega-C launcher. The upgraded P160C carries over 14 tonnes more solid fuel, increasing both rockets’ performance, increasing their payload capacity and competitiveness.
“Passing the qualification review is always a huge milestone in space design: independent teams have assessed the data packages, analysed the technical files and confirmed our design is robust,” says Alessandro Ciucci, ESA’s Programme Manager for both P120C and P160C.”
First flight and increased production
The first time P160C will be used is on Ariane 6, in a four-booster configuration providing the most powerful liftoff for Ariane 6 so far and scheduled for next year. The first four P160C solid-propellant rocket motors will now be integrated into four Ariane 6 boosters, ready for its flight.
Vega, Vega-C and Vega-E comparison
Its debut on the Vega-C rocket is currently planned in 2028 with Space Rider.
With more launches foreseen, the ramp-up of production is building up to an industrial capacity of making 35 or more of the solid-propellant rocket motors a year.
P160C solid-propellant rocket motor test fire
The P160C has three main components. The first is the composite structure, manufactured by Avio in Colleferro, near Rome in Italy, obtained by filament winding and automated layup of carbon and epoxy pre-preg fibres. The second is the nozzle manufactured by ArianeGroup at its Le Haillan site near Bordeaux in France. It is made of composites materials, allowing the motor’s extremely hot gases – 3000°C –to be ejected at very high speed providing thrust. The nozzle is gimballed to control the flight of the launcher. Propellant loading and final motor integration are carried out by Avio and ArianeGroup joint subsidiaries in French Guiana (Regulus and Europropulsion).
The third element of P160C is the carbon-fibre composite igniter that ensures proper ignition of the motor. They are manufactured by Nammo in Raufoss, Norway, under Avio responsibility.
P160C solid-propellant rocket motor rolls out to its test stand
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